and personal
Interview By SJ McShane
Dave Laus Photo Book cover photo James Patrick
TIFFANY GASTON
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE STYLE OF TRAINING AND WHY ? I still love isolation training or old school bodybuilding , because it allows me to shape my body as I choose , but I definitely enjoy changing it up with the addition of functional training and things that allow me to challenge myself in different ways . I try to vary it frequently to keep things fun and exciting , because I too occasionally become bored with training .
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY ? I started competing in 2007 and not long after , I created a blog where I wrote on topics of family , fitness and healthy recipes . I had no clue anyone would pay attention , but surprisingly it gained some traction and I truly felt I had a place to share my voice and personality . I competed in 6 or 7 shows during 2013 after I had my third child , and was top 5 in every national level NPC figure show I entered . With 3 children and their own busy schedules , I decided to step away from competition life and continued to work as a freelance writer without the guilt associated with my hectic travel schedule .
As a writer , I began to contribute to lots of health and fitness publications because it appealed to me and I could do so from anywhere . This lead into fitness modeling and shooting with some of the best photographers in the industry . My love for fitness and creating art though images is the reason I am here today . Sharing my very personal story and hardships in the hope of giving strength to others has become my new direction .
ARE YOUR 3 CHILDREN FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS ? I ’ m not sure I can say they are following my footsteps , only that they are their own unique people , remain active in lots of sports , and I definitely see visible areas of influence from time to time . I always present healthy options and while kids will be kids , I see them observe the effects of junk food and how it makes them feel . When they reach for the better option , my heart is full and I know I am leading by example without stuffing my lifestyle down anyone else ’ s throat . That makes for one proud mama !
WHAT IS YOUR LONG TERM VISION FOR YOUR BOOK ? I hope my message gives clarity to some of the struggles I ’ ve faced along my journey to this point . What I don ’ t want , is for anyone to look at me and assume things have come easily or that I haven ’ t worked hard for what I have and where I am in life . I am hopeful to share my message with someone that needs it at the right time and that it will give them strength to overcome similar challenges . If I can change and if I can overcome , so can you !
DO YOU EXPERIENCE TIMES OF SELF-DOUBT ? IF SO , HOW DO YOU HAN- DLE THAT ? Indeed , I ’ m human ! Specifically , with regards to writing this book , fear held me back from sharing such a personal side of myself . I thought about writing this book for so long , yet feared the judgement of others . I channeled that fear into my driving force for completing it . It was not only cathartic to write , but also very empowering to let go and give this part of myself in the hopes of helping others .
WHAT POSITIVE THINGS DO YOU DO TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR YOUR CHILDREN CONCERNING BODY IMAGE ? One thing that is of utmost importance to me is that we have an ongoing dialog about how different and unique we all are . Good health looks different on everyone and I have really put emphasis on my girls not trying to attain my look or my body , if that was ever to be their goal . I do realize the pressure that society already puts on our young impressionable girls and the last thing I ever want is for them to feel they will not live up to my standards or be just like me . I ’ m very aware that because of the industry I am in , my girls may feel like they must follow suit and I do make it clear they are beautiful and amazing people all their own and to do what makes them happy is all I want for them .
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS ? As someone that takes each day as it comes , I definitely believe in the value of both short and long term goals to keep ourselves excited and ambitious in life . In life , fitness and career , you must always strive for more . That said , my personal goals are just that , but when it comes to my children , I realize I only have a finite amount of time with them before they leave the nest . I see how incredible they all are in their own right , but helping to guide them individually is by far my most important and rewarding role in life . Nothing has ever felt better than being their mama .
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOME- ONE WHO IS DEALING WITH BODY IMAGE ISSUES ? Learn to embrace what makes you uniquely YOU ! It ’ s not easy , but self-acceptance is not something you can find from others as many on social media seem to be chasing . The fleeting “ likes ” are not something to be sought after , rather , validation must come from within . Without that , we are faced with fading looks , life circumstance and things far beyond our control getting in the way of us falling in love with and being good to ourselves . Stop the comparison game , your only competition is you .
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE VAST ARRAY OF IMAGES SHARED BY SO CALLED “ FITNESS PROFESSIONALS ”? The over saturation of people seeking validation via social media
Ron Perron photos outlets is a newer concept and just the world we now live in . My heart breaks thinking of the young impressionable girls looking up to some of this material that is just flat out repulsive . I can comprehend my younger self struggling with body image because of some of the magazines I once looked up to , but our poor youth has it far worse than I ever did . The inundation of overly sexualized female bodies is something that will never go away , but learning how to deal with the images we see , realizing that there is additionally a certain degree of façade going on and the women within the images also struggle with their own self-image is something we need to communicate with our girls . It ’ s just such a different time and knowledge will always be power .
I think on one hand , there is a vast array of people seeking validation from others , the wrong kind of attention and distorting what it is to be a “ fitness motivator ,” but on the other hand , I do see there that if something motivates you , that is your prerogative . We all appreciate something and I try to only focus on me , staying in my own lane and remaining true to myself . If that motivates someone else to live a healthier lifestyle , then I feel very grateful to be in such a position
For more information and detail about Tiffany , visit her website at tiffanyleegaston . com or pick up her memoir , From Broken to Badass , available on Amazon .
www . NaturalMuscle . net 17